A Touch of Princess Pink
by Loreyulia
Summary: 7 Days after the death of Hughes, and Mustang is just about ready to break. He wants to numb himself to the pain, the only way he knows how- but, maybe this time a different cure was in store. Maybe this time, instead of pushing every one away, he can open his heart to a little girl, who is just as broken as him. And maybe, just maybe- a touch of Princess Pink is all the two need.


**Disclaimer: Since I must tell all of you fine people that I do not own the series Fullmetal Alchemist, and its characters, for legality sake I shall. *Sighs* I hate these things... they always depress me. **

**A/N: Hallo every one, it's time for another random Oneshot! *glitter and streamers appear* I got the idea for this one when I was PM-ing my hubby KissMeDeadlyT-T, and we kind of just angsted over the feels, and it snow balled from there. This is yet another one through Roy's perspective, because I just like to write through him. There will be mentions of Hughes' death, the adorableness that is Elicia, and Roy being all Parental and stuff. *smiles* I really hope you all enjoy this oneshot, and please review how you see fit. **

**A Touch of Princess Pink**

The scritching sound of my pen against rough parchment, and the ticking of the archaic clock to my right were the only noises that filled up the space of my office. It was just another boring day of paperwork, annoying subordinates, and weak coffee. I stilled my hand, halfway from completing my signature on some document, about the restoration of an old Central landmark. Stretching, I stifled a yawn, a couple of tears gathering at the edges of my eyes as I leaned back in my stiff backed chair. Not for the first time, did I consider petitioning for an armchair for my desk, because if they expected me to do nothing but sit on my ass all day, at least Central Command could let me do it in comfort...

A brisk knock on my door caught my attention. "Come in Lieutenant Hawkeye," I said loud enough for her to hear me; not even questioning who it was, because besides Falman and Fuery, she was the only one who bothered to knock - and they each had their distinct ways of doing it. Falman was a rapid three-knocker, and Fuery always did a timid two. The door swung open, and the slim figure of Riza Hawkeye slipped in, carrying another arm full of paperwork. I groaned audibly, already cursing those white sheets, that seemed to mock me at every turn, to the very depths of hell.

"Sir, Command has requested your signature on these as soon as possible," Hawkeye's cool voice, and stoic expression did not waver, regardless of how poisonously I glared at her. She set the giant stack down on my desk with an ominous thud, and in that moment I swore I could hear a part of my soul dying. I knew at this point that I was pouting rather childishly, but I just couldn't muster up the will to fight it; paperwork was the work of devils, and my ass was sore.

"Do I have to sign these now?" I whined, and sounded a little pathetic even to my own ears.

Hawkeye did not look amused in the slightest, and chose to reply sternly, "Yes Sir. These documents are of the utmost importance." I heaved a pissy sigh, glaring darkly between the stiff woman in front of me, and the stack of evil papers.

"Fine, you win... as usual." I groaned, the moment I noticed her fingers twitching towards the gun, fastened at her hip by a cracking leather holster.

A small smile graced her lips as she said, "I knew you would see it my way, Sir." She nodded curtly, and turned brusquely on her heels, making her way to the door. "Oh, and try not to procrastinate too much Sir, it would be wise of you to fill those out as soon as possible. You never know, you might earn some points with the Fuhrer that way." Riza shut the door on her way out, with a certain punctuality so befitting to her character, I had to chuckle. Even on boring days like this, my subordinates each had their quirks, and those never failed to amuse me.

**~O.o.o.O~**

A steaming bowl of vegetable soup, and a warm Roast Beef sandwich sat some what unnoticed before me. I had Breda fetch me lunch from my favorite corner bistro, when he went on a food run for every one. It smelled delicious, the soup perfumed the air with a delicate balance of herbs; and the hearty scent of freshly baked bread complimented it perfectly. My stomach growled weakly, begging me to start stuffing my face, but I just continued to stare forlornly at the curling steam rising towards the ceiling.

My heart was steadily sinking like a stone into the pit of my empty stomach. The absence of a very loud, very eccentric man was crushing my resolve; like a weight pressed against a piece of glass. That harsh burning feeling along the bridge of my nose and eyes that accompanied fresh tears, that I willfully forced back, came rushing forth. It was a whole damn week since Maes was brutally murdered, and the only time I had allowed myself to cry, was that day he was dumped and buried below stone cold earth. My fingers clenched along the surface of my desk, the ticking clock mocking me through the silence that Hughes' absence caused. I couldn't hold back the audible sob that escaped me, floating into empty space, and fading quickly into nothingness.

My shoulders shook, as I tried, and failed to keep myself from crying. It took 7 days, a whole fucking _week_, for me to come to the realization that Hughes was never coming back. My office door would never be thrown open, excitable chatter falling from that mouth that spewed words out endlessly; pictures of his beloved daughter thrust into my face every two minutes, as he cooed over how precious his darling Elicia was. He was my best, and closest friend, and I loved him more than I loved any one else. This is precisely why I let so few people in, because it hurt like hell when they were gone.

I slumped forward, my face pressed against the cool wood surface of my desk. Tonight was going to be rough, and I knew that I would most likely find myself stumbling home in a drunken daze. A heavy sigh inflated, then deflated my lungs. I had some thing that I had to do before I sought out the closest bar, so I could lose myself in the warm numbness of intoxication. It was the last thing in all of Amestris that I wanted to do as of right now... but I had a moral obligation to stop by, and see how Gracia was holding up. She needed some one, just as much as I did at the moment; and if my heart was already a shattered, bleeding mess, I couldn't begin to fathom how she was feeling.

**~O.o.o.O~**

Central was unnaturally cold during the winter months. So cold in fact, that it was only the beginning of December, but icicles were already forming long, crystalline spears from bare tree branches. Soft, newly fallen snow blanketed the earth in a pure, powdery white; and as I walked along the icy sidewalks, I could see children, and even parents playing in the snow. It brought a smile to my lips, to see such raw happiness on the faces of those children, and the soft glow of joy radiating from the adults. In times like these, where the world was fragile and on the brink of so much chaos, it was a welcome sight indeed.

Regardless of the brief lapse into comforting thoughts, reality slapped me in the face, and roused me from my contentment. Those niggling, negative thoughts wormed their way into my brain, and so I couldn't help but think how perfect today would be for Hughes to take Elicia out to the nearby park, and help her build a snowman. In fact, that's probably what he would have done too... Hughes would wake up, and see just how soft, and perfect the snow was. He would call in, "sick," even though he would sound just fine, just so he could spend this perfect day with little Elicia, and his beloved wife Gracia. But dead men couldn't make up lies, just so they could spend time with their families... no, they just rotted away beneath all the snow and the ice.

I didn't want to see Gracia, and Elicia today. I didn't want to see the sadness in Gracia's eyes, that she would pretend wasn't there, covering it all up with fresh pies and warm food to give me. I didn't want to see young, innocent Elicia with her round, questioning eyes that would beg me for the answers I could not give her. But Hughes was probably rolling around in his grave, because it still took me this long to visit his precious family, and make sure they were okay... it was the least I could do after all.

At this point I had been wandering on auto-pilot, through the snow covered streets of Central, and now I was at a cross-roads. One street would take me to the warm, inviting home of the Hughes Family, and the other- well, it would lead me chasing the end of a nice bottle of scotch. I had to make a decision, and even though on any other day the answer would have been obvious, a peculiar feeling was gnashing at the back of my skull, and begging me not to run away from my problems for once in my damn life. So, with a heavy sigh, I turned away from the welcoming glow of street lamps, and coffee shop windows, and headed instead down more ice covered sidewalks.

**~O.o.o.O~ **

I could hear the sounds of Gracia bustling about the kitchen, probably starting dinner for her and Elicia. Pale, golden light poured out from the living room and kitchen windows, to dance along the glimmering snow at my feet. My breath puffed out in front of my face in a hazy cloud, since the temperature seemed to have dropped along with the sun falling below the skyline. It was only around 4:30 p.m. but the darkness of night was vastly approaching regardless. I made my way up the snow covered steps to the front door, and hesitated for just a moment, before I knocked.

"Coming," Gracia's gentle voice floated towards the door, and I could hear her footsteps padding their way towards me. The door was wrenched open moments later, and there was Gracia standing wide eyed, and part of her left cheek smeared with what looked like flour. "Oh Roy, I wasn't expecting to see you! Come in, you'll catch your death out there for sure. Would you like some tea, or coffee?" She ushered me inside without even questioning why I was here, and took my coat from me, to hang it up on the hook by the door.

"Um, coffee would be nice, if you don't mind." Gracia smiled and made her way into the kitchen, only to reappear moments later with a green mug; steam rolling up towards the ceiling.

"Here you go, I had just put a pot on for me and Elicia. She seems to have taken a liking to it ever since..." Gracia faltered, her green eyes filling up with tears for only an instant, before she blinked them away. "Well, I think she drinks it, because Maes always had a cup before and after work. I'm sure it helps her keep him close."

I wanted to comfort her, tell her some thing to at least help ease her heart ache; but my tongue seemed to have become frozen in my mouth. I could only mumble a feeble, "Thanks," as she handed me my cup of coffee. There was an awkward sort of silence for a while, so I blew on my drink to cool it down a bit, before taking a couple cautious sips.

"I'm making home-made pot pie and soup for dinner, you're welcome to stay if you'd like." There it was, the infamous Hughes family hospitality that I dreaded, and missed so dearly. I wanted to refuse, make up some excuse so I could leave, and at least have my guilty conscious wiped away; because I saw with my own two eyes that Gracia, for the most part, was holding up fine. That just left...

"Um, well I was planning on heading home as soon as possible- I just have a ton of work to do... but I, well I wanted to drop by and see how things were..."

Gracia's smile was a little strained around the edges, but I knew her, and when she had that certain set about her features it meant that she was doing her best to keep it together. "I'm doing as well as to be expected... I really appreciate you stopping by though Roy, you've always been such a good friend to our family." She looked away, biting her lip; her soft green eyes were watery, and her cheeks were stained bright red. A woman on the verge of tears was always my biggest downfall...

Before I could really think about it, I had moved forward and wrapped my arms loosely around her thin, shaking shoulders. She tensed for only a moment, before relaxing in my comforting embrace; her own arms tied around the middle of my back. I stayed silent, watching the waning steam from the mug that was still in one hand, drift upwards and dissipate. It was a some what ironic symbol if you thought too deeply into it, because life was a lot like those curling tendrils of heated vapor meeting cold air; it was brief and some times, all too fleeting. Gracia sniffled softly, but refused to let a single tear fall. I admired her strength, it was hard not to.

A few moments later the trembling frame of Ms. Hughes pulled away, and she looked up into my eyes, a small smile curling her lips pleasantly. She patted my cheek and said, "Thanks Roy, you're a real sweet heart when you want to be." I scowled at the implication that I was a less than compassionate person more often then naught... She laughed at my sour expression, and turned to walk back into the kitchen; but stopped midway, and faced me again. "Before you go... could you visit with Elicia? She's... she hasn't smiled much since- since Maes was killed. I think seeing her Uncle Roy, might cheer her up a bit."

A sharp pang pierced my beating heart, and tore it to shreds. The memory of Elicia's cries, the plaintive wailing for her Father to come back to her; how all I could do was watch that little girl's world end, and try my damndest not to break down too. Hughes would find a way to make my life miserable from beyond the grave if I didn't see Elicia as well, and maybe help bring that sunny smile back to life. "Of course I have the time to visit my favorite niece!" It was a tad forced, but I laughed and tried to smile for this broken family that meant so much to me.

"Thank you Roy. Elicia's playing in her room, she said it was 'super pretty Princess time,' so she might rope you into playing the Prince." A gentle laugh tumbled from Gracia's shapely mouth, her eyes sparkling like polished Jade. Before she could slip back into the kitchen, this time I reached over, and swiped the flour off of her smooth cheek. She seemed startled for a moment, maybe thought that I was trying to hit on her; until she saw the powdery substance smeared across my fingers. Gracia laughed again, and blushed like the pretty young woman she was.

It was hard not to laugh too, even if it was painful and every sharp intake of breath into my lungs felt like icy needles stabbing into me. Grief was like that... it could some how manifest your emotional pain, into something physical, some thing that ached fiercely and left you completely drained. The laughter died quickly, as it always does when you desperately want it to last _so_ much longer. "I have to finish making dinner, so you can go visit Elicia now; and you'll be staying for dinner tonight! No if's, and's, or but's about it Mister."

Gracia set me with a hard stare, and I knew then that I was screwed out of an evening of drinking... how the hell could I say no to that face? "Alright, alright," I raised my hands in mock defense, "I concede defeat." She nodded triumphantly, and padded her way back into the kitchen.

**~O.o.o.O~**

The hallway was barely lit by the dull light seeping from Elicia's doorway, and every thing had an eerie silence about it. There was no girlish peals of laughter, or the deep rumble of Maes' voice traveling my way, like so many times before; just the soft clinking of what sounded like glass. I stood in the doorway, and gazed in cautiously, trying to steel myself just a bit before enduring Elicia's uncharacteristic melancholy. She was sitting quietly at her play table, wearing her favorite Pink dress that Hawkeye sewed for her third birthday party. She seemed to be fiddling with some thing, occasionally plunking it down onto the table, only to pick it up and toy with it again.

Sucking in a shuddery breath, my knuckles rapped against the open door to get her attention. Elicia jolted, and turned around; a joyous smile spread across her innocent face as she cried out, "Daddy?!" All the bright hope filling into her lively green eyes, slowly filtered away as she recognized who it really was. I wasn't hurt by her apparent disappointment, the stabbing in my chest was merely a product of my own self hatred... it really should have been me, instead of Hughes lying six feet under the snowy ground. "Oh... hello Uncle Roy!"

She brightened up a bit, probably a trick she learned from her mother- knowing not to show her sadness, and shove her problems onto others. Elicia was so young, and already having to deal with so much... "Hey, how's it going cutie-pie?" I winked at her, and she blushed happily at the pet name I had called her since she was born. After everything, Maes' over zealous dotting rubbed off on even me, when it came to little Elicia.

She tilted her head cutely to the side and asked, "Did you come to play Princess with me Uncle Roy?" Her eyes were big, and her smile was so damn wide and hopeful that the only answer I could ever give would be "yes."

"I sure did! I heard that you were looking for a dashing Prince to sweep you off your feet, little lady." I made my way inside, and plopped down beside her on the ground; enjoying the giddy smile on her face.

She giggled and wrapped her tiny arms around my much larger forearm. "Yay! You can be my Knight in shiny armor, Uncle Roy! You'll have to fight off Dragons, and ogres to save me, but in the end we can have a tea party with all the Unicorn Kingdom!" Her warm cheek pressed against me, as she laughed and smiled like the little girl she was supposed to be; not the grief stricken one I saw at the Funeral.

I puffed my chest out, and proclaimed in my most heroic voice, "Fear not fair Princess, for I shall save thee just in time for Strawberry cake, and tea!"

"Oooh, Strawberry cake is my favorite Uncle Roy!" Elicia laughed and hugged my arm tighter. Seeing her so happy, because of me made my heart feel so full of love, and a tender ache to protect this little girl from more of life's harsh lessons. Her smile slowly faded though, and her previous melancholy began to seep in. "Only... I can't be a Princess with out my magic nail polish that Daddy bought me."

I glanced to the small bottle left forgotten on the table. It was filled with a powdery pink liquid, with a crystal clear glass topper. Hughes must have bought this for her before he...

"Hey," I said suddenly, tilting her round little face up to meet my gaze. "Who says you still can't be a Princess?"

"Daddy always painted my nails before we played super pretty Princess... we always pretended that it was what transformed me. Some times he would let me paint his nails too, and then we were both Princesses!" She laughed at the end, and I could tell she was remembering happier times; in fact, the image of Hughes getting his nails done was funny enough to make me laugh as well.

I took her small hands in my own, and squeezed them in a show of comfort. I wanted to make her happy, only if it was for tonight, I wanted her to forget the pains that life so cruelly inflicted upon her. "Hey, chin up cutie-pie, that's why Uncle Roy is here." I made a show of looking around furtively, and leaning in, cupping a hand to the side of my mouth. "I shouldn't really say this, but it seems like you need to hear this special secret." I whispered softly, just so she could hear.

Her eyes lit up, and twinkled like shimmering emeralds; the endless excitement for secrets that children loved, was written all across her face. "Oh, please tell me Uncle Roy! I promise I won't tell any one else, cross my heart." She looked so eager, and determined to keep my secret, it almost made me laugh.

"Well... if you pinky swear to never tell any one, I can let you know my super special secret."

Elicia immediately held out her tiny pinky and exclaimed, "I pinky swear!" We linked pinkies, and shook twice for good measure, to make sure our secret pact would last.

"Okay, you've proven yourself a most honest, and faithful Princess." I took the bottle of polish in my hands, the label flashing _Princess Pink_ in the soft light. "I've never told any one else, but I can transform little girls into Princesses too, with just a dash of this magic polish."

Elicia looked crestfallen as she mumbled, "Don't be silly Uncle Roy... it was just pretend."

"How can you be so sure? What if it really is magic, and when you wear it you really become a Princess?" She brightened up a bit at that.

Elicia wiggled excitedly. "You mean, it could really work?!"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" I winked, and lightly shook the bottle in my hand. Elicia seemed to understand what I meant, if her squeal of joy was any indication; her tiny hand reaching out towards me, palm down and little crescent nails displayed. I twisted the cap open, the sharp acidic smell of the pink liquid assaulting my nose. I never understood the reason why Women willingly coated their nails in this foul smelling stuff... but if this helped wipe away Elicia's gloom, then I would put up with it a million times over.

The thin brush was adequately saturated in the pink polish, so I set the bottle down on the table, and took Elicia's warm little hand in mine. I had watched plenty of Girlfriend's in the past do this, so I had a loose idea of how to paint nails. With the utmost concentration, I made the first tentative swipe across her miniscule pinky. My tongue poked out from between my lips, and my eyebrows were knitted together fiercely, so when Elicia began to giggle and say, "Uncle Roy, your face looks funny!" I had to agree, that it probably was.

Her beautiful green eyes were glued to the shimmery, pale pink color that gradually stained her little nails. "Oooooh, it's so pretty! Just like my favorite dress, that Auntie Riza gave me!" She was practically glowing with happiness, and it made my heart fill with the same warm, radiant light. How could any one stay gloomy around such pure, sweet innocence?

"It is pretty, isn't it? The perfect color for a Princess!" I exclaimed, finishing off the first hand, and moving on to the next. I prided myself in my steady hands, a trait that had been instilled in me through the military. Even if all I normally did was blow shit up, learning how to draw perfect Alchemy circles, and holding a gun sure did the trick.

"Uncle Roy, have you ever met a real Princess?" Elicia tilted her round face upwards, and stared at me with the avid attention most children display when asking such deep, probing questions.

I finished her other hand, and put the cap back onto the bottle. "No, I can't say that I have." She frowned a bit at that, a look that plainly said that I had some how crushed her hopes. "B-but," I began to back pedal, and do some damage control, "if I ever _do_ meet a Princess, I promise to introduce her to you okay?"

She danced excitedly in her seat, and squealed. "You'll have to do both of our nails Uncle Roy, and drink tea with us, and help us groom her pet Unicorn!"

I laughed, Elicia's wild imagination was adorable, and entirely amusing. "Okay, I promise cutie-pie. Now don't get too excited, we have to let your nails dry, and you don't want to ruin them right?" Elicia nodded her head, and then laid her palms down onto the table, and sat completely still.

We were silent for a while, Elicia admiring her sparkling pink nails, and me just content to be with her even in silence. "U-uncle Roy..?" Her tiny voice filled up the room, even though she whispered.

"Yes, sweetie?" Her gaze was stuck to the table, and I had to wait a few minutes for her to reply. I knew it was probably going to be some thing hard for her to say, some thing she had to muster all her strength to ask me.

"Is... is Daddy really never coming back? Is he... really gone forever?"

There came the clenching pain, that tight, constrictive ache that squeezed my heart so tightly it felt like it was going to burst. What could I say? How could I have the courage to tell this little girl; this precious, sweet girl who meant more to me than I ever dreamed she would, that her Daddy... he was never coming home. My fingers dug painfully into my thighs, it was the only thing keeping me from shaking at this moment.

Elicia didn't wait for a reply. Some how, I think my lack of words gave her the answer any ways. "M-mommy said... that Daddy- that Daddy could never come home again. She told me that the Angels needed some one strong, and smart to protect them, so they took him back." Big, fat tears rolled down Elicia's round cheeks, her button nose was scrunched up as she cried. "I don't b-believe Mommy! S-she's lying to me... r-right Uncle Roy? D-daddy's coming home soon... i-isn't he?"

Desperate, imploring green eyes begged me to tell her anything but the sad, painful truth. I felt my heart break; as silly as it is to say that a heart could do that, the pain, the overwhelming hurt and sadness that engulfed every part of my being, was proof that it could. A sharp, cold feeling fell down my face. My fingers immediately flew to my cheek, and the chill wetness of tears seeped into my silk gloves. I didn't want this to happen, this was why I never wanted to come here again... because I wasn't strong enough, not to cry.

"I-I... Elicia I'm... sorry. Your Daddy, he- h-he isn't coming home. I wish I could tell you he is, but I just... I don't want you to believe in something, that's never going to happen." My throat hurt, from trying to hold back the tears. I wanted to sob like a little child, throw a fit until I cried so hard tears couldn't possibly fall from my eyes ever again. But I was an adult, and adults had to be strong... so my throat clenched down the choking sobs that threatened to bubble over.

Elicia should hate me, she should scream and yell- tell me it's all my fault, because that's what I deserved. She wasn't like that though, she was made of kinder stuff than I. She threw herself into my chest, and clung to me with her tiny, shaking arms as she cried. "U-uncle R-r-roy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you c-cry... I'm s-sorry." She buried her face into my chest, and sobbed harder, her sounds muffled against the fabric of my button down shirt.

It was a pure, raw and utter need to embrace my precious niece; so I wrapped my arms tight around her, and held her as close to me as possible. "E-elicia... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I buried my face into her soft, brown hair. We stayed like that for a long time, crying, and holding each other until the tears turned into hiccups. Eventually, I calmed myself down, and peeled Elicia away from me. Her eyes were puffy, and red.

I brushed my fingers along her cheeks, wiping away what was left of her tears. It made her smile, just a little bit. "Uncle Roy... I'm sorry I made you cry."

Cupping her soft cheeks in my hands, I tilted her face up to meet my gaze. "It's okay, sweetie. Thank you for helping me feel better, with out you I would have never cried like that." She seemed puzzled, but I really didn't expect her to understand what I meant anyway. I didn't bother explaining, just went about wiping away the tear stains on her blotchy face.

"I know what will cheer you up, Uncle Roy!" Elicia squeezed my arm softly, a sweet imitation of what I had done earlier to comfort her.

"Yeah? What do you have in mind, darling?" I smiled a little, just to prove that I wasn't still breaking inside.

Elicia grabbed the bottle of Princess Pink nail polish, and waved in front of my face as she proclaimed, "My magic Princess polish can make you pretty, just like me! Daddy always did my nails to cheer me up, when I was sad." There was a bright sparkle in her eyes, a look that said she wanted to help and make me feel better; even though it was my job in the first place to cheer _her_ up.

I inherently wanted to refuse; what man would get his nails painted to make themselves feel better? And I would die of embarrassment if any one ever saw them, my nails all shimmery and pink. But, Elicia looked so determined, so excited to act like a grown up... how in the hell was I going to say no, to that cute little pout? With out a word I splayed my hands, palms down, onto the faded powder blue play table. Elicia giggled, and grabbed the pink bottle; trying to twist off the cap, and finding it was harder than it seemed.

"Can you do it?" Elicia pouted cutely, looking extremely put-out that she couldn't open it herself. A hearty laugh built up in my chest, and tumbled forth as I took the polish from her small hands and twisted the cap off for her.

"There you go," I handed both halves of it to her, and repositioned my hands upon the table. I blushed heavily, as the first cold, wet streak was brushed across my thumbnail; after all, even if I was doing this to help cheer up my Niece- it was still a bit embarrassing...

After a few minutes, there was a gentle knock on the door. "Dinner's ready you two," I turned, to see Gracia standing in the hallway, a giant smile on her pretty face. She seemed utterly amused by the scene she had stumbled across; a laugh obviously stifled behind her dainty fingers.

"Look Momma, Uncle Roy is becoming a beautiful Princess with me!" Elicia giggled excitedly, and accidentally swished the brush off of my nail, and onto my skin.

Gracia came closer, to inspect her precious daughter's handiwork. Two thin, graceful eyebrows arched up to her stylish bangs as she proclaimed, "Wow sweety, you're doing such a wonderful job! I hardly recognized your Uncle, he just looks so darn pretty," a saccharine sweet smile curled her pink lips, but Gracia's deep green eyes glittered too mischievously for it to be innocent.

I had to reign in a childish pout, because Elicia had turned her full, undivided attention my way. "Yes, I do have to admit, it makes me feel... pretty." Gracia seemed floored for just a moment, eyes wide and mouth hanging open; but then she burst out with peals of bright laughter. Her eyes were scrunched tightly closed, tiny tears gathered at the edges because she was laughing so damn hard.

"Oh... oh dear," she wiped away the tears from her eyes, one arm holding onto her side. "Wow, Roy you never cease to surprise me." Gracia sucked in a great big lung full of air, and breathed out slowly to help calm her reddened cheeks. "You two can finish up, but I want those hands washed before you come to dinner." She wagged her index finger at us as a warning, and then left us to our own devices; most likely going in to set the table for the three of us.

Elicia quickly finished up my last two nails, and then capped the bottle. "I'm gonna go wash my hands now Uncle Roy, otherwise mom won't let me have dessert." Elicia got up, and tottered her way towards the bathroom down the hall. I heard her scoot her tiny wooden stool over to the sink, and moments later the spout was gushing forth water. I waited patiently for my nails to dry, so I could join them, busying myself with staring at the jagged, imperfect lines of color across my fingernails.

**~O.o.o.O~ **

Dinner was absolutely delicious; a warm, hearty meal perfect for cold winter nights. Gracia had made a rich, savory chicken pot pie and a huge pot of Vegetable soup- and for dessert, her famous Apple Pie, with extra whipped cream for Elicia and me. My stomach was full to bursting, a lazy contentment washing over me from eating too much good food. Gracia was busying herself with cleaning up the dishes, which she refused to let me help with; batting my arm affectionately when I offered and saying, "With your past experience in my Kitchen? I don't want you breaking anything, so you just sit and keep Elicia company."

Elicia was sitting beside me, trying her best to finish off her slice of apple pie. I idly looked over to the antique clock upon the wall, surprised to see that it was only just now reaching 7. There was a content silence for a while, while I digested my food and Elicia finally giving up on finishing her pie.

Gracia popped her head into the dining room briefly to ask, "Would you like me to send some of this home with you? We have plenty of leftovers."

"Yeah, that would be greatly appreciated!" I replied, patting my bloated tummy jokingly. She laughed, and ducked back into the Kitchen. A few minutes later, Gracia reappeared and handed me a bag with a few containers of food in it. "Thanks, it's been a while since I've had such a delicious meal."

Gracia blushed happily, always pleased to share some of her gentle hospitality. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the food so much." I stood, and gave the former Misses Hughes an affectionate hug; even after I had intended to come here and cheer up these two wonderful people, in the end it was them who healed me.

Elicia came over, and tugged on my trousers; her big green eyes staring up at me imploringly. "Are you leaving now Uncle Roy?" She looked a little disappointed when I nodded yes. "Oh... okay." Elicia pouted cutely for a moment, before her face started clear up, and a smile blossomed. "But, you'll come over again, and play Princess with me, right Uncle Roy?"

I looked between two pairs of vivid green eyes, Gracia's full of apology for her daughter and Elicia's brimming with childish hope. I knew I could never fill the giant shoes that Hughes' love for his family left behind... but- I could at least try and take a step in them, one tiny gesture of kindness at a time. I bent down a bit, so I could be at eye level with my little niece, taking her tiny hands in mine. I stared at our matching nails for a moment, amused by the things that could make a young girl happy, before replying. "Of course, cutie-pie."

I looked up at Gracia for approval as I said, "And, if it's okay with your Mom, maybe I can come over once a week so we can play."

The biggest fucking smile the world had ever seen, graced Elicia's face at that moment, and she turned to her Mother; her round eyes pleading for her to say yes. Gracia faltered for a moment, looking to me and saying, "Well... I'm sure your Uncle is very busy-"

I cut her off before she could make excuses for me, "I'm sure I can find the time, for my favorite girl's," I winked roguishly for good measure.

Gracia smiled reluctantly and replied, "Well, if Uncle Roy wants to, it's fine with me honey."

Elicia threw her arms around me, and squealed happily as she hugged me tight. "I love you Uncle Roy!" I patted her head, said I love you too and hugged her back. She pulled away, and in her young innocence said words that almost broke my heart again... "I'm so happy to have my Uncle Roy, and Mommy. A-and maybe some time Big Brother's Ed and Al, and Big Sissy Winry could come and play too... that- that would make Daddy happy I think... to see us all smiling, and playing together."

Tears sprang forth, stinging my eyes with their salty bite; and I could see a few rolling down Gracia's pretty face. I squeezed her tiny little hands, "I'm sure that would make him very happy, Elicia." She nodded, and looked up to her Mother.

"Why are you crying Momma, did I do some thing wrong?" Gracia caught herself, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks, and forcing herself to smile instead.

"Oh, nothing sweetheart, I'm just happy to see your bright smiling face is all." I knew it was a little white lie, to spare her Daughter from the sadder truth; that deep down she was breaking each time he was mentioned...

Elicia went over, and hugged her mother. Even if she may not understand all of the things Adults felt, she knew enough to give a hug when it was needed.

After that, I was sent home with good food, and two bright smiles to send me on my way; Elicia standing in the doorway, waving frantically goodbye, as I was swept back into the blistery cold streets of Central.

**~O.o.o.O~ **

A week had passed since the day I visited the Hughes household; sent away with enough food to feed me for a few days, and a heavy burden made lighter because of the smiles and kindness I knew were waiting for me. The pink polish had almost completely chipped away by now, hidden most of the time beneath my silk gloves. A couple of times it was almost seen by Jean in the bathroom, when I had to wash my hands, but thankfully he was never in the habit of staring at my hands; too busy trying to catch a glimpse at my junk, so he could compare sizes...

The weather had cleared up considerably, and while it was still rather cold, today the sun shone brightly and glinted off of the waning patches of ice and snow. Maybe I would go take Elicia out to build a snowman today, before all the snow melted away...

The clock struck 4, indicating that work was over for me and some of my subordinates. I gathered together my things, and left the building, bidding farewell to Falman and Breda, since they were choosing to work over time today. Making my way out of Central Command, I was greeted by Havoc, Hawkeye, and Fuery; all of them waving me over.

"Hey Boss!" Havoc slugged me on the shoulder when I arrived in the midst of their little group. I shot him a very disapproving glare, which he studiously chose to ignore. "Wanna go drinking with us? Falman, and Breda will join us later. We thought it would be fun to get together, and knock back a few, so what do ya' say?"

Any other time I would have said yes, delighting in getting smashed with my closest friends; but, I had a special date, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. "Sorry guy's, I have a date with a pretty young thing, and it's just one I can't pass up."

"Aw man, Mustang! You get all the ladies... she better be pretty hot, since you're blowin' us off," Havoc had his hands on his hips, and shoulders raised in a shrug. Jean was always jealous of my many dates, and womanizing ways, which mostly was false.

I smiled crookedly, wanting to tease the poor man, instead of giving him the simple truth. "Well, I wouldn't say she's "hot," but, I will say she's criminally adorable."

Jean moaned, and raised his hands in defeat, "You win, you win. Have fun on your date, Mustang." The three said goodbye in their own ways, and began walking down the streets. I smiled fondly, and made my own way towards the place I could call my second home, hoping that a nice hot meal was waiting, and a pair of warm smiles.

_**~Fin~ **_

**E/N: Well, I really hope this was an enjoyable read! I promised myself to get up some thing new by the New Year, and here we are. I will try my best to deliver more work in 2014, but as always I ask for you to have patience with me. Not only have I not had inspiration to write much lately, and on some days I do get incredibly busy, but to top it all off I received a Pink 3ds for Christmas and have been unhealthily addicted to Pokemon Y... **

**I plan to post chapter 6 of my Hetalia story Can You Shine My Shoes? so there will be a little wait before I start working on my next Fullmetal Oneshot for my darling Hubby-kins (it's so late now, I hardly think she can consider it a Birthday gift anymore...) And to every one who is waiting for the second half of Intoxicated, I will probably have it up by the end of the month (sorry again a million times over, I try to update as soon as I can). **

**Well, I'll leave you all with best wishes for the coming new year, and all of my love! **


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